Use a 3-4 quart crockpot. Put 2 pieces of bacon into the bottom of your crockpot. Layer in the beans, jalapeño, onion, and apples. Sprinkle dry spices on the beans. Add the ketchup, molasses, and apple juice. Stir gingerly to combine.Add 2 more pieces of bacon to the top of the beans. Cover and cook on high for 4 hours, or on low for 6-8. This is finished when the onions and apples are translucent and the flavors have fully melded.

Cook the remaining slices of bacon on the stove top and crumble over the top.

The Verdict.

I really liked these beans, but I missed the sweetness of traditional baked beans. Next time I will add a tablespoon of brown sugar with the dry spices. I needed to add some more chopped jalapeño to my bowl, but everyone else ate it plain. It wasn't spicy (to me) and the kids were okay with it. They didn't eat very much, and filled up on cornbread.

29 comments:

Hi Steph, I'm not sure where the proper place to post this question would be, so I'm posting it here. What are you (we) going to do after the year is over? Will you leave us? Whatever will I do? Please say you'll keep going on in 2009!!

Thanks for posting this wonderful news, Steph, that you'll be posting in 2009 for us--we all appreciate you soooo much! :-)

I confess I have never made baked beans on my own. (That can of Bush's just made it so easy, and Bush's are GF, too.) I agree that the brown sugar sweetness is important for baked beans. Some friends who love apples and jalapenos will want to try this recipe though. ;-)

So glad to hear you will keep the blog going with occasional posts. You so deserve a vacation! My family thanks you for this year of blogging that I only discovered recently. They've had seconds of each thing I've tried from your recipes. Success!

First time caller, long time listener... Uh, er, you know what I mean. Thanks for the wonderful ideas, recipes & comments. It's been a pleasure. I'm hoping to reference this blog much more in the future as my 50% GF family keeps looking for more meal ideas.

Ha! I haven't commented for ages, but I was going to ask the EXACT SAME THING! And you have thoughtfully answered it. You must be psychic! No, wait...

In case I am too drunk to comment on New Years' Day, I just wanna say THANK YOU for making my crockpot the hub of my kitchen. You are wonderful. My kids love you. My dog loves you. My husband loves you. All our love.

Wow--the emotions you must feel being so close to being done! I found your blog early in the year and have immensley enjoyed seeing the update each day. I certainly hope it becomes a printed cookbook after the end! I bet you're looking forward to being able to cook a little more without the crockpot, but I bet you also have lots of recipes you still want to try in the crockpot! Maybe, a weekly blog in 2009? Then, monthly in 2010? :)

oh, crockpot lady...it's been such fun this year clicking on your blog every day and seeing what this crock-potless non-cook might be crocking up if she just had the gumption. maybe i'll take you as inspiration and acquire a crockpot as a new year, 2009, resolution. you have been tempting me all year long. i shall miss you, truly, thanx.

Ok, I recently began reading your blog and made the lentils which we all loved at lunch. But I have to share my disaster later in the day. I attempted to carry the crock pot out to the car because I was bringing this to my daughter's potluck, but I slipped on the lowest step and the pot fell onto the stone and broke and I fell upon it and cut my left wrist badly! Still, I will make this recipe again, but I may not carry the pot myself! Or I will be much more careful.

I am so relieved to hear you are leaving the blog up. Next year, I hope to use our crockpot more, and with ds being gf/cf (and egg-free), your site is a great fit for us. Thank you so much for all your hard work.

Wow, I can't believe I just now found your blog! I just bought a larger CP yesterday (Hamilton Beach 6 qt with programmable thermostat!) and I was looking for a recipe to cook a whole chicken in the crockpot. My husband thought I was crazy, but after I found your site, I see that I can do a lot more stuff.

You are obviously a very clever woman, so I send you blessings for continued fun and whatever.